Nibbles

We’re moving to NHS Health Scotland

As many of you will be aware, our host organisation, Consumer Focus Scotland, is to be restructured to be the voice for consumers on energy, post and water issues. As a result, from 1 April 2013 the healthyliving award will become part of NHS Health Scotland, Scotland’s health improvement agency with a remit to reduce health inequalities across the country.

Following the move to NHS Health Scotland, the award aims to be business as usual.  Having secured funding for the award until at least 2015, our priorities will continue to be supporting the needs of our award holders and applicants and to extending the reach of the award across Scotland, making it easier for everyone to access healthier food when eating out of the home.  The healthyliving award team will continue to be based in Glasgow and contact details will be forwarded in due course. 

For more information on the work of NHS Health Scotland, see our website or visit www.healthscotland.com.

News bites

Working together to reduce food waste

By Chloe Bellany, Zero Waste Scotland

The Scottish hospitality sector disposes of an estimated 53,500 tonnes of food waste annually, two-thirds of which could have been eaten.  The cost of purchasing and disposing of this food waste could be costing businesses up to £1,800 a tonne.

However, by changing your perception of waste from a problem to be dealt with to a resource with real value, the cost of landfill tax could be reduced, and instead profit from the sale of high quality recyclable materials.

The Hospitality and Food Service Agreement is a voluntary agreement, delivered in Scotland by Zero Waste Scotland, which aims to support the sector in working together to reduce food and associated packaging waste, and increase recycling rates. 

Working towards these targets can significantly benefit the bottom line by reducing costs and using fewer resources.  Simple steps like reducing portion sizes or finding new uses for leftover ingredients can lead to real savings.

And signing up to the agreement won’t just save money; it can also help prepare you for the implementation of the new Waste (Scotland) Regulations.  Coming into play next year, the regulations will require all businesses in Scotland to separate key recyclable materials – paper and card, plastics, metals and glass – for recycling by 1 January 2014.  And for businesses in food production, preparation or retail, a separate food waste collection will also be required – for those producing over 50kg per week, this will be required from 1 January 2014; with those producing 5- 50kg per week asked to follow suit by 1 January 2016.

For information on how to sign up to the Hospitality and Food Service Agreement, as well as information about other free support and assistance Zero Waste Scotland can offer to businesses in the sector, visit www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/hospitality

Table talk

CiS magazine launches all-new website

In an effort to reach a larger proportion of Scotland’s catering, hospitality and tourism organisations and customers, and in anticipation of the digital future of trade publications, Catering in Scotland is launching a brand-new, all-encompassing website for the collective Scottish hospitality sector and its consumers.

The new portal will bring together the entire sector in one comprehensive, easy-to-navigate online destination, complete with a mobile-responsive mini-site for information on the move.

And continuing the long-standing partnership with the healthyliving award, the new cateringinscotland.com will feature a dedicated Healthy Living section, complete with profile, latest news and upcoming events, recent videos, information on applying for the award, and case studies of healthyliving award recipients.

The new website will be online from mid-February 2013 at www.cateringinscotland.com.

Download this issue in PDF format
Food Service Sector
Involved in the food service sector and would like to know more? Click here
Customers
Do you sometimes want to eat healthily when eating out? Click here
issue twenty-five:
Spring 2013
Change font size
The healthyliving awardNHS Health Scotland - Scotland's health improvement agencyHealthier Scotland - Scottish GovernmentHealthier Scotland - Scottish Government